The Work Truck Show 2016 Sets Attendance Record

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Truck premieres, exclusive ride-and-drive opportunities and unmatched training drew a record-setting 11,905 (verified) industry professionals to The Work Truck Show® 2016, North America’s largest work truck event. This breaks the event’s previous attendance record of 11,005, set in 2015. Attendees came from all 50 states, eight Canadian provinces and 19 countries. The Work Truck Show 2016 was held March 1–4 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is produced annually by NTEA – The Association for the Work Truck Industry.

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America Inc. used the Show to unveil its 2018 FTR Class 6 medium-duty truck to a huge crowd. Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America Inc. debuted its prototype FUSO E-CELL all-electric truck and gave attendees the first opportunity to drive it in North America as part of The Work Truck Show Ride-and-Drive March 2–3. Other truck OEMs making news at the Show included Ford Commercial Vehicles, International Truck, Kenworth Truck Company, Mack Trucks and Ram Commercial. There were significant powertrain announcements made as well. Cummins Inc. introduced its 2017 B6.7 and L9 medium-duty engines, and Daimler Trucks North America gave the public its first glimpse of the new Detroit DD5™ medium-duty engine.

During his keynote address at the Green Truck Summit general sessions on March 1, Reuben Sarkar, deputy assistant secretary for transportation at the U.S. Department of Energy, announced SuperTruck II, an $80 million funding opportunity for research, development and demonstration of long-haul trailer truck technology. He also announced more than $12 million in selections for three new projects focused on plug-in electric powertrain technologies for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. In other “green” news, Work Truck Show exhibitors highlighted significant propane fleet adoptions and even converted a pickup truck to run on propane right on the Show floor.

“It was a great week,” says Steve Carey, NTEA executive director. “The Work Truck Show is the one event where everyone involved with vocational vehicles in North America comes together to share ideas, see what’s new and find opportunities for their business operations.”

The Work Truck Show 2016 was the largest event in NTEA history. Over the last five years, NTEA expanded the exhibit floor by more than 40 percent, but still had a sizable waiting list of potential exhibitors. In response to this demand, NTEA has maxed out all available room at the Indiana Convention Center for The Work Truck Show 2017–and exhibit space has already sold out.

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In additional news from the show, The Work Truck Show Innovation Award went to Ranger Design’s Max View partition. This award goes to the product at the Show deemed “most innovative” by a panel of trade media editors and truck fleet managers. All products entered in The Work Truck Show 2016 New Product Spotlight or New Product Media Guide programs are eligible.

Max View is a safety partition with a top portion molded out of clear thermoformed ABS and polycarbonate to snugly fit Ford® Transit Connect, Ram ProMaster City® and Mercedes-Benz Metris cargo vans. The Max View partition’s see-through feature greatly enhances cargo space visibility, reduces blind spots, permits more light into the cab and creates the feeling of a more wide open, less claustrophobic cab space, according to the company. The product’s contoured design allows the seats to travel to the full back position, and its precision fit reduces drafts for improved cab climate control while reducing rattle noise.

“Innovation is a part of our business strategy, and continuous feedback from our distributor network helped guide us in our design of the Max View partition,” said Steve Milizia, regional sales manager for Ranger Design. “We are extremely proud to be recognized for developing a product that helps satisfy what the industry is seeking — more efficiency and comfort in the performance of their everyday tasks.”

Altec Inc. won The Work Truck Show® 2016 Green Award for its JEMS® 4 Series (Jobsite Energy Management System) hybrid-electric system. The award was presented at The Work Truck Show 2016, which was held March 1–4 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Green Award recognizes the product at the Show that best improves work truck fuel utilization, as determined by a panel of trade media editors and truck fleet managers.

Altec JEMS 4 Series is an updated energy management system for utility work trucks. This integrated plug-in uses stored electrical energy to power the aerial device, tools, accessories, exportable power, and engine-off cabin heating and cooling. It features lithium-ion energy and an on-demand electrified PTO (ePTO) for hydraulic power. This allows bucket units to operate quietly without the truck engine running, which is an advantage in urban areas.

The compact system is equipped with Altec’s Idle Mitigation System that eliminates unnecessary idle time when the vehicle is parked, automatically transitioning from engine power to JEMS power. This reduces fuel consumption while minimizing emissions and engine maintenance, according to the company. JEMS 4 Series supports the EEI Transportation Electrification Initiative.

“Altec is very pleased and honored to be recognized with the Green Award for this environmentally smart product,” says Mark Greer, market manager for Altec. “We have worked hard to develop solutions our utility customers need to help meet their work practices and sustainability goals. JEMS products can also be applied to work trucks serving a variety of industries.”

The Work Truck Show 2017 runs March 14–17, 2017. Registration opens in October 2016 at worktruckshow.com.

Photo: Altec Photo caption: Altec Industries wins Green Award for the JEMS 4 Series Jobsite Energy Management System at The Work Truck Show 2016. (Left to right: William Callis, senior account manager, telecommunications, Altec; Steve Carey, executive director, NTEA).

Photo Ranger Design Photo caption: Ranger Design Inc. wins Innovation Award for the Max View Partition at The Work Truck Show 2016 . (Left to right: Steve Milizia, regional sales manager, Ranger Design; Jay Crowie, product manager, Ranger Design; Steve Carey, executive director, NTEA).

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